


I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive

by Nabrah87



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21708592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nabrah87/pseuds/Nabrah87
Summary: Yuri Plisetsky and Otabek Altin are back in Barcelona, their adoptive home.After the Russian Fairy has surpassed his idol Victor Nikiforov at last, he is on top of the men's singles figure skating world at age 21, having won six consecutive World Championships and six straight Grand Prix Finals and numerous European championships. He has been engaged to the Kazakh Hero for three years, whom he met at age ten, became friends with at age 15 and fell in love with at age 17.Now it is time for Yuri and Otabek to start the next chapter in their lives.
Relationships: Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky
Kudos: 27





	1. I won't give up

**Author's Note:**

> I started watching Yuri!!! on Ice, because in every Anime OTP video on youtube I saw, Victuri was ranked higher than Michiruka and I needed to get to know these two... I just happened to fall for Otayuri instead. ^_^ #otayuri #michiruka
> 
> text lyrics: I won't give up - by Jason Mraz and title lyrics: The Greatest by Sia

_I don't want to be someone who walks away so easily_

_I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make_

It was a cold day for spring and the plane had been delayed for over an hour, but soon they would see each other again.

The Kazakh laid eyes on the one he was looking for the instant he walked into the room. The airport was crowded, that much was true, yet the young man dressed in leopard print and leather with dark sunglasses and a black hood covering his golden hair, couldn't be unrecognisable if he tried. Yuri Plisetsky spotted him only a heartbeat later, even so Otabek Altin wasn't taller than most of the people, dressed in dark colours and thus disappeared easily in any crowd. The moment the younger male flung himself into his outstretched arms, Otabek caught him easily. Yuri's slender body, that still felt frail in his arms, pressed tight against his chest with arms securely wrapped around his neck.

"Welcome home, Yura.", he whispered in the blonde's fabric covered ear and pressed one hand against the back of his hooded head.

The airport was near on empty, when they made their way outside, both walking close enough, but no longer touching, Otabek with Yuri's suitcase in tow.

"Thanks for coming to pick me up, Beka.", Yuri said, when his boyfriend slipped into the driver's seat next to him.

"Nothing to it.", the older male retorted, while he stretched to retrieve a brown paper bag from the backseat, dropping it into Yuri's lap before he put his own sunglasses on, started the engine and got out of his parking spot to drive them to their apartment in the city.

Yuri unpacked the food and dug in, immensely happy to be back in Barcelona with someone who knew his needs so much better than he did.

Since the recent Grand Prix Finals had taken place in St. Petersburg, Yuri had to stay on, after Otabek's return to Barcelona. And this last few weeks in St. Petersburg with his trainer and the prima had been a special kind of torture.

After his grandfather and Potya had died four resp. three years ago, the former leaving Yuri with no living blood relatives in this world, there had been no reason for Yuri to stay on in St. Petersburg. In fact he craved to be as far away as possible from everything that reminded him of his life until then. He had intended to join Otabek in his home rink in Almaty, but the Kazakh had refused, deeming it to small to help Yuri in any way with reaching his goal. After touring the World for half their lives, they had soon come to the conclusion that both would be happiest to settle in Barcelona, instead. Much to their delight they found a suitable flat shortly after Yuri's 18th birthday. Otabek, who had still been a DJ back then, settled into the club Yuri had followed him to three years ago.

While Yuri had been deep in thoughts, Otabek had parked their car in the subterranean garage, and was already out of the driver's seat.

"Por favor.", Otabek said, handing Yuri his leopard suitcase from the trunk, when he appeared beside him. "Gracias.", Yuri responded, cringing.

Since Otabek had a natural knack for learning languages, the Spanish tongue had come to him easily. Yuri, on the other hand, could get by with understanding and answering in short phrases or simply having conversations in English, a tongue in which they both had to be fluent in order to communicated with their fellow skaters. In private, however, they still spoke mostly Russian, even so Otabek kept patiently trying to slip in Spanish phrases.

Yuri, once in their apartment, tossed his jacket aside and flung himself onto the couch with a deep sight.

Otabek followed him, hung both leather jackets onto a nearby hook and joined him on the couch, the younger man's feet in his lap, and gently removed his shoes.

Despite his achievements on the ice and his strict discipline as a skater, Yuri Plisetsky was as chaotic as any child. He was headstrong and passionate, but also easily enraged and messy. All traits, that Otabek found lacking in himself, who was much more the stoic, introverted, pedantic type. Their differences still brought them closer and their similarities allowed them, to be a team in both serious sport and everyday life.

Yuri typed away on his phone, letting his fans know that he was at home, save and sound, when Otabek interrupted him, with a kiss to his temple. But Yuri was faster and took a picture, leading Otabek to the futile attempt to stop him from posting it.

Laughing, both settled back into the sofa, unsure of how to commence. It had been a while since they had been in their home alone, with no pressing matters ahead.

"So?", Yuri said and fixed Otabek with his blue-green eyes. "Kiss me then." But when Otabek leaned in, he put his fingers against the other man's lips. "Properly this time.", the blonde demanded and his fiancé obliged.

Even so his body was tired, his mind had been racing since his first day back in St. Petersburg, Otabek's lips against his, here in their home, finally turned down his thoughts.

"I've missed you.", they said, with lips gently brushing. "I'm here to stay.", they whispered, with fingertips ghosting over sensitive skin.

Their relationship hadn't been easy, in between championships and training, it hadn't given them much more than stolen moments and Yuri wasn't sure if he should regret his choices... He had done it, had reached his goal, to become the star of the ice skating world and set a new world record. Had succeeded in being better than Victor, better than Yuuri, better than himself. He had achieved that, finally. And Otabek was still at his side, had been since they had reunited in Barcelona, after a meeting Yuri had not even been able to recall. He had nothing to regret, in so many aspects of his life, yet the thought, that desperate thought, that he wanted to focus more of his attention on his fiancé before it was too late... Too late for what?... Was consistently on his mind.

He wanted to become a better person, for his sake. For the man who loved him, despite his frequent absence and moodiness. Whose music was as much part of his success, as his constant support.

"Where are you, Yura?", the man in question asked gently. Yuri laughed at this and answered with a grin: "With you. Finally. Alone with you."

And because he found that little distance they'd between them far too much, he settled himself cross-legged into Otabek's lap.

"Let me stay here for a while.", he demanded, looking up into those gentle brown eyes and with a slight nod Otabek put his hands around Yuri's lower back, to keep him from falling off as he relaxed against him.

Neither Otabek nor Yuri were especially touchy people and interacting with Yuuri and Victor had strained their nerves every now and then, but between the two of them, personal space had never been an issue.

Thus Otabek kept sitting on the couch with Yuri in his lap, long after the younger man had fallen asleep. Only after his legs had begun to fall asleep as well, had he moved and carried Yuri into their bedroom, sitting with him for a moment to make sure he was still dreaming.

Since he wasn't tired, Otabek busied himself with sorting through Yuri's suitcase, starting the washing machine and preparing dinner.

Otabek had never minded household chores. Any excuse to move around the house while listening to music, had been enough for the restless child he had been. And since Yuri had never learned how to do really anything around the house, because all his guardians' focus had been on skating and ballet and sports in general, Otabek kept their apartment in check.

An hour later, Yuri emerged from their bedroom, mumbled "shower" and disappeared into the bathroom.

Otabek grinned and continued his cooking, immensely happy to have Yuri back in Barcelona with him.

That Yuri walked into their storeroom stark naked and damp, while Otabek set the table, was not an uncommon occurrence in their household. Smiling Otabek placed the last items on the couch table and stopped in the doorway to the small room they had converted into something like a ballet studio with a wall of closets with mirrored doors and a ballet bar fixed to the opposite wall, and found Yuri rummaging around, already wearing a tight black leggings with tiger print applications.

"Dinner is ready.", Otabek said, when Yuri's head appeared through one of his typical black shirts with a tiger printed to the front.

The blonde, slender man grimaced and held his hair back into a ponytail. "Be right there."

Otabek crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the doorframe, watching Yuri move around the room to find a hairband.

"Baño.", he suggested, earning an irritated look from Yuri. When he moved to get past him, into the bathroom, however, Otabek extended his arm to him. "O mi muñeca."

Yuri's fingers slipping under the band to tie it lose from Otabek's wrist, send a pleasant shiver down his spine and from the smile Yuri was hiding, when the tied his hair, made Otabek certain it was the effect the young Russian had intended.

After dinner, Otabek took Yuri on a motorcycle ride and they ended up, strolling through a nearby park.

"What did Yankov say?", Otabek asked after some time of silence between them, almost brushing the back of his hand against Yuri's with every other step, not quite touching.

"He won't have me quit competitive skating for another year. He called it petty.", he explained, rage audible in his voice and took Otabek's hand, because it was dark enough and he didn't care about other people.

"Since Victor quit last year and Georgi left as well, he guilt-tripped me." Yuri paused for a moment. "What could I do with my life anyway. All I know is ice skating."

Otabek thought for a moment. They had had this conversation before, trying to figure out a future apart from serious sport. But neither Otabek's DJ'ing nor Yuri's modeling was more than leisure for them.

"We could travel the world.", he reminded him. "You always wanted to spend time in Iceland."

Yuri sighed and stopped in the middle of a bridge they were about to cross.

"And do what? Live? I don't know how to do that!"

Otabek could relate, since the ice had been his reason as well. They both had successful careers, but in contrast to Otabek's, Yuri's body wouldn't last long, if he kept this strain up for years to come. He had never quite managed to stick to the limits of his body, did not ration his strength as Otabek had learned to do. Yuri was too ambitious, his natural grace allowing even the hardest program to look easy on him.

The older male leaned against the railing and rested his chin on his crossed arms.

"If you want to keep in competitive skating, I'm in, I'm all in. I just need you to know, that if not, you have every right to live your life away from all this."

Yuri leaned against the railing as well, his elbows on top, his back against it, hands buried deep in his open jacket.

"I never had a life without ice-skating.", he confessed and then tilted his head back to look up in the night sky. "But if I choose this, time and again. Where will it leave us?"

Otabek didn't react to his question at first, thus Yuri was afraid his thoughts had strayed and he hadn't heard. How he would have hated to repeat something that made him seem so vulnerable.

Even so Otabek's company had lessened his scurrility and pugnacity, he did not like to show his sensitive side. He'd rather run away or scream to get rid of whatever held him back.

"This is not a normal life and we are not a normal couple, but we made it this far and will continue to do so.", the Kazakh said eventually, bracing his palms against the railing and stretched his arms.

"You wanted to best Victor and you did. There is no one in the competition who is your equal anymore. Next year, Yuuri and Chris won't be there either. Is this something you can still take seriously?"

Otabek continued to talk, his eyes not leaving the horizon. "I am no match for you and neither are Phichit or Michele or that newby Kenjirou." Their eyes met in the dim light of a nearby lantern.

"Is this what you want? Compete against yourself over and over again?"

Yuri's gaze flared and Otabek couldn't depict his expression, but pushed himself of the railing and was about to keep on walking.

"You gonna stay on top without even trying." He flicked his hand and turned his back, knowing full well, that Yuri would be furious, but the younger male didn't sound angry but determined, when he finally spoke up.

"I want you.", he addressed his back, leading Otabek to turn, stunned to see Yuri stare at him, his legs braced apart, his hands in fists at his side.

"You are right. I am no longer able to compete in the single men figure skating world.... but you and I can go into pair skating."

Otabek tilted his head, evaluating his seriousness. Years ago everyone had joked about Victor and Yuuri trying to be a pair on ice.

"Is it still true, that you are all in?", Yuri challenged him. "Are you prepared to become my equal on the ice or not?"

And with this Yuri extended his hand for Otabek to accept his offer, but his fiancé had thoughts of his own to process. Two things were certain: One, Yuri Plisetsky would never cease to impress him and two, he would do anything in his power for the Russian's sake. Still. Was it possible? They would need to learn everything annew, would be together for the better part of every day and simply had to make it onto the podium in their first try. Wasn't this utter madness to even think about? Had there ever been a same-gender pairing yet? But Otabek loved a challenge, in serious sport as well as in everyday life and knew that with Yuri he could accomplish everything they set their minds to.

"Yankov will freak.", was the only thing he said out loud, before his gloved hand slipped into Yuri's outstretched one.


	2. I won't give in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri Plisetsky and his long time partner Otabek Altin are about to conquer the pair figure skating world in storm

_Our differences, they do a lot to teach us how to use_

_The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake_

For days it had been all over the news and Yuri was content to give interviews about every last detail, whereas Otabek refused those rightout. The media coverage giving of a mix of opinions as usual.

Both had started training together almost immediately, not minding all those who questioned their intentions, leading their former trainers, much to Yuri’s surprise, to support their step in getting them into Nicanor’s squad. He was a strict and successful coach and even Yuri had to admit, that his way of training had its perks. Since Otabek had already joined him for his previous two exhibition skates, the change in competition which had already been rumored, proved to be exciting news for the ice skating world.

When it came to their adjusted training, both stuck mostly to their developed routine. Running in the morning, Otabek before breakfast, Yuri before lunch. Then they would train with Nicanor in the studio for the afternoon and go onto the ice for the better part of the evening. Yuri’s grace and pliability complemented Otabek’s technique and rectilinearity. They knew their bodies, movements and breathing rhythm alike, thus they moved in synch almost immediately, the different jumps and spins coming to them almost naturally. The only thing they really had to practice from the get go were the lifting parts.

"Yuri...", Otabek panted one of those days. "If I lift you one more time, I won't be able to use my arms tomorrow."

Yuri chuckled, lowered himself into a perfect split and bend to pull his feet close to the back of his head.

"You just don't like to have your fingerprints all over my body in blueprint in the morning.", he teased, looking upside down at his partner, seemingly without any effort.

They had practiced their lifting for months and knew their balance by heart, but the physical strain was a constant keepsake for them both.

Otabek actually couldn't remember a time, when his arms hadn't shook with the effort to hold a cup of tea in the evening and Yuri's skin hadn't been pristine for almost the same amount of time.

"Let's call it a night then.", Otabek suggested, watching Yuri unknot himself.

"It's christmas after all.", came Nicanor's voice from the door of the ballet studio. "Go and do what lovers do at this time of the year."

Their trainer winked and turned, leaving a rather stunned Yuri and Otabek behind.

"What do you want to do?", Otabek asked Yuri. The smaller male, pulling him closer by his loose turtleneck, only grinned. "Throw down a banging song, just for me, Mr. DJ."

"We are not gonna go through our short program again.", Otabek answered him in all seriousness, but Yuri already pulled him towards their dressing room and they left half an hour later on his motorcycle on their way to El Poblenou.

The new year came and soon the qualifications were only one month away and both Otabek and Yuri had a short fuse. They had only been absent from training on Otabek's and Yuri's birthday, keeping their plans and whereabouts a secret.

One day, however, they had a serious screaming match on the ice, when they had flunked their last lift for the third time in a row. Only Nicanor's voice, that echoed through the rink and demanded for them to take a break, had managed to get them apart. Both stormed off the ice, passing the shocked skating pair, that had been with Nicanor for years and left the arena in opposite directions. While the male-female pair worked through their training session on the ice, Yuri was in the studio, flexing his body and Otabek had taken his motorcycle for a ride to cool his nerves.

An hour later, when Nicanor was done with the others, he ordered Yuri back into the rink and since Otabek hadn't returned, asked him to call his partner. The male part of the other pair had heard and stopped in front of the Russian.

"You really gonna call him?", he asked incredulously.

Yuri gave him an inquisitive look. "Yeah?!", was all he said, retrieving his phone and motioned to unlock it.

"But you just had a huge fight and he sure as hell isn't gonna pick up.", the other guy, whose name never stuck with Yuri, tried to explain.

"Why would that not make him pick up his phone?", Yuri asked, still perplexed, when he pushed the phone-icon to connect the call.

The Spaniard looked at him, as if he was stupid and then stupefied, when Otabek picked up Yuri's call by the second ring, apologizing for his delay.

When Otabek returned a moment later, both went onto the ice with little more than a short instruction from Nicanor.

"You can stay if you want.", he said to the other two, his focus on Yuri and Otabek, when they began to warm up once more.

The female skater looked perplexed, since they never had been allowed to witness their rivals' performance before, but both just nodded and watched, when the male pair took position.

The pair on the ice drew close together, Yuri encircling his front with his arms, his left hand to his right hip, right hand hugging his left shoulder, while Otabeks right hand moved against Yuri's throat from behind, his left hand steady on his free hip.

Both breathed in once, then twice, matching their heartbeats, and when Nicanor clapped once and the music began to play, the show was on.

The first half of their performance included mostly separate, but mirrored step sequences, moving them closer and closer, until they circled each other in ever diminishing circles. When they came within reach, eyes locked, arms stretching to touch, the music changed pace and they jumped apart like a gunshot in perfect synch. The female audience drew in a breathless O.

The second half of their performance hence set a different pace. Both raced back towards each other from where they had landed on opposite sides of the rink and Otabek caught Yuri in full speed, lifting him above his head with no evident effort or hesitation. Once he'd set him back down, they performed a series of spins in close succession both with Yuri's feet grazing the ice and being in the air for a vertigo-inducing amount of time. With another step sequenze in between, that brought them an arms length apart, Otabek lifted Yuri once more, but when he set him down this time, there was no space left between their bodies. And then Yuri seemed to slip from his grip, his back almost meeting the ice, before Otabek slid into a kneeling position and Yuri used their momentum to pull himself slightly back up with a hand around Otabek's neck, their lips only inches apart... and this is how they remained, breathing rapidly, when the music died away.

"Dios mio, we are screwed.", the male skater remarked into the silence and neither his partner, nor their trainer objected.

Otabek and Yuri moved into their starting position for the first time in a competition six weeks later and Yuri's racing heartbeat in his fingertips was the only indication of his agitation. Otabek took a deep breath and felt Yuri's body relax against him, their breathing matched and whispered into his ear "Davai" before the music started and they pushed apart.

Only after they stepped down from the podium, gold medals around their necks, gold bands around their ring fingers, were the media allowed to ask the burning question of the evening on a cold day in spring.

"Did these new rings mean, that they had finally been married, after an engagement period of four years?"

The next day, all the tabloids announced, that the new stars in the pair figure skating world, Yuri Plisetsky (22) and Otabek Altin (25) were not just world champions, but also a married couple. Most making a fuss about the fact, that both had hidden their marriage from their fans and the press for months(!). They would take a few weeks off, Yuri had revealed to the media, to spend their honeymoon in Iceland, but would be back to train and compete again in next years season, because they were free to be the greatest, still alive.

_We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in_

_I had to learn what I've got and what I'm not and who I am_


End file.
